Key facts:

The focus of performance reporting in this chapter is on emergency services for fire events. Descriptive information is included on emergency services for other events, with performance reporting to be developed for future Reports.

Nationally in 2017-18:

• fire service organisations attended a total of 387 939 emergency incidents, of which 100 227 were fire event incidents, and STES organisations attended a total of 52 310 incidents (excludes Queensland), of which 39 933 were storm and cyclone events
• total expenditure of fire service organisations was $4.2 billion and of STES was $228.9 million (excluding Western Australia), or $169 and $9 respectively, per person in the population
• 20 297 full time equivalent (FTE) paid personnel were employed by fire service organisations, of which 77.0 per cent were paid firefighters. A large number of volunteer firefighters (156 319 people) also participated in the delivery of fire services
• the majority of STES staff were volunteers, with  731 paid staff (excluding Western Australia) and 23 987 volunteers.

Emergency services for fire and other events aim to reduce the adverse effects of events on the community (including people, property, infrastructure, economy and environment).

Governments’ involvement is aimed at providing emergency services that:

• contribute to the communities management of risks and its preparedness, through the promotion of risk reduction and mitigation activities
• are accessible, responsive and sustainable.

Governments aim for emergency services to meet these objectives in an equitable and efficient manner.